Celina Police hunt armed robber who fled Dollar store

The perpetrator, described as a white male standing 6 feet to 6 feet, 1 inch, entered the store shortly before 3 p.m. and spent several minutes looking at items before approaching a cashier and demanding money. Although he did not brandish a handgun, the man apparently had no qualms about making its presence known.

"He had it tucked in the waistband of his sweatpants," Celina Police Assistant Chief Calvin Freeman said this morning. "And he made sure the cashier was aware of it."

The unidentified cashier handed over the money and the man reportedly grabbed some items from the area of the cash register before bolting from the store. He apparently left on foot running in a northerly direction through a field behind the store.

A K-9 officer from the Mercer County Sheriff's Office tracked the suspect to a wooded lot just south of Irmscher Boulevard. It is believed the suspect may have had a vehicle waiting in that area.

Police closed the store until the canine track could be initiated and officers completed processing the scene. No one was injured during the incident, although the two employees on duty were visibly shaken, according to a news release from Police Chief Dave Slusser.

Freeman said there were few shoppers inside the store at the time. He declined to comment on the nature of the items removed from the store or the amount of money involved, explaining such information can aid investigators.

Officers are in the process of accessing video surveillance footage from the store for analysis. The suspect reportedly has a tanned complexion, slender build and dark hair with a goatee or other facial hair. He wore a light blue hooded sweatshirt, light blue sweatpants or blue jeans and a white ball cap protruding from beneath the hood.

Anyone who saw a subject matching that description or observed suspicious activity in the vicinity of the store Sunday afternoon should call the police department at 419-586-2345.